Don't be a prince

Li Chengqian also heaved a sigh of relief, and was about to help Li Tai up when he saw Sun Simiao coming out of the hall, so he had to hurry up to meet him.

Sun Simiao was sweating all over his body, and his Taoist robe was almost soaked, which showed how much pressure he had endured.

"It's just right for your Highness to come down. I have something to tell you alone."

Li Chengqian, who was originally in a happy mood, suddenly felt his heart ache when he heard this sentence.Seeing that Li Tai was already peering in at the entrance of the main hall, he invited Sun Simiao to the side hall for a chat.

After entering the main hall, Sun Simiao sat down on the ground. Fortunately, Li Chengqian had prepared early in the morning and asked Zhang Yun to cook the sweet porridge in front of Sun Simiao.

Almost greedily finished the sweet porridge, Sun Simiao breathed a sigh of relief, his whole body was like a newborn.

Putting down the porridge bowl, Sun Simiao sighed and said: "The situation is urgent, so I, the old Taoist, made the choice for His Highness on my own initiative. This time it seems that the mother and child are safe, but the old way of destroying the child also brought a lot of trouble to the empress. It is almost [-]% likely that the empress will not have children in the future, and the time of menopause will be earlier than ordinary women."

"Will that affect your health?"

"There will be some, but it won't be serious. With the old man taking care of me, it shouldn't have much impact."

Hearing this, Li Chengqian was really relieved.

Taking another deep breath, Li Chengqian saluted Sun Simiao deeply.

Sun Simiao was used to this kind of scene, so he didn't refuse, and accepted Li Chengqian's respectful gift.

"Daozhang Sun, thank you very much!"

There is no need to say anything like "in the future", Li Chengqian is also very clear that Sun Simiao can help him shoulder the risk, but he is not familiar with it, and if he talks too much, it will appear extravagant.

Sun Simiao nodded, stood up, breathed a long sigh of relief and said, "Since that's the case, I will go back to the room to rest, the old man. Tonight, there must be someone to take care of the empress. If there is any abnormality, the old man must be awakened."

Li Chengqian nodded knowingly, and ordered Zhang Yun to send Sun Simiao back, and then trot all the way to the main hall.

At this time, the main hall has been tidied up, but there is still a strong smell of medicine in the air.Ziyan was holding a swaddling baby and was coaxing the newborn child to sleep.

Except for the loud cry when he was just born, the little guy was like a kitten the rest of the time, and fell asleep after being patted by Ziyan for a while.

Putting the child into the cradle prepared early in the morning, Ziyan walked over cautiously and reported: "His Royal Highness, Your Majesty gave birth to a little princess. Although she is less than a month old, she looks fine, and nothing will happen to her." question."

Li Chengqian nodded, walked to the cradle and looked at the child.

Little girl, this should be Sizi.Although she was only born, this girl already has the appearance of her eldest grandson.In fact, the eldest grandson's appearance is considered to be above average, as can be seen from Changle's body, this girl will definitely not be too ugly in the future.

However, looks are secondary, as long as you have a healthy body, nothing else matters.

Gently walking away from the cradle, Li Chengqian entered the room, and Li Tai was sitting by the bed. Although his expression was calm, judging from his drenched back, he was also afraid for a while.

Li Jian was also afraid, because he had to write a secret letter to the emperor to introduce the situation in Dengzhou, and because the queen was not due to give birth, he also ran to the shipyard to introduce the place to the emperor.Of course, he also has the emperor's secret decree, which is to ask everyone to keep the queen when difficult childbirth occurs.From the time when the empress left Chang'an, the emperor also had the same worry.

He is an incompetent husband, and he is still a qualified husband.Man, it's such a contradiction.

With a wave of his hand, he drove out Li Jian who wanted to say something, and Li Chengqian sat beside Li Tai.

Rubbing Li Tai with his elbow, Li Chengqian said in a low voice, "Daozhang Sun said that the queen mother will be taken care of for the next two days. I'll go to sleep for a while and have something to eat. I'll take care of you in the middle of the night."

Li Tai nodded, and continued to stare at the eldest grandson on the bed.

It was just a dystocia, but at this moment, the eldest grandson looked as if he had suffered from an extremely serious illness, not to mention his complexion was pale, and he had also lost weight.

After returning to the side hall, taking a bath, having a good meal, and taking a nap, it was already Haishi.

When we arrived at the main hall, Li Tai had already changed from sitting to standing, and both eyes seemed to be unable to open.

There was no need to say anything, just exchanged eyes, and the two of them completed the exchange.Yan helped Li Tai out to sleep, while Su Yuan stayed by the bed with Li Chengqian.

At Yinshi, seeing Su Yuan dozing off with her head down, Li Chengqian advised her to go to sleep for a while.

"Go and rest for a while, Mrs. Su, I'm fine, as long as the prince is by my side."

Just after Su Yuan shook her head and refused, the eldest grandson's voice sounded.

Li Chengqian happily lifted the curtain, grabbed his eldest grandson's hand and said happily: "You're awake, how do you feel?"

The eldest grandson stretched out his hand tremblingly, touched his stomach, sighed, and asked, "How is my child?"

"The little guy is sleeping in the cradle outside. Although he is less than a month old, he doesn't feel any discomfort. He just fell asleep, so he won't come to you."

"Really?"

Hearing that the child was fine, the eldest grandson breathed a sigh of relief.

After just breathing a sigh of relief, she fell asleep again. "The child is fine" is her best sleep aid.

During the stay until early morning, Li Chengqian wiped his grandson's dry lips more than a dozen times. When the sun rose, Li Tai and Yan Shi rushed to the main hall to replace Li Chengqian.Although it is the same to ask the maid to take care of them, but the two brothers have no idea of ​​pretending to be someone else.

In this way, in the evening of the next day, the eldest grandson finally regained his strength and was able to support his upper body.

Holding the child to breastfeed, the eldest grandson glanced at Li Tai with a smile, and said, "The queen mother and your sister are fine now, you should go back to the shipyard, it has been delayed for two days."

Li Tai shook his head, sat down on the ground and said, "If you don't go back, the shipyard is nothing compared to you. Don't worry, when you're fully recovered, even if you don't have to urge me, Erchen will run back overnight! "

"Forget it, you can stay here if you want."

He bowed his head and hummed a few times, coaxing the child in his arms. The eldest grandson took the opportunity to turn his head and wipe his eyes.

Don't look at her drowsy all the time, but she has an impression of what happened around her many times.For example, the voice of Li Tai reprimanding Yan Shi in a low voice, and Li Chengqian wiping her mouth with a cotton swab... The ancients have tasted the saying that when parents are sick, they wear clothes to protect them. This is filial piety, but few people can do it, let alone Royal.But she has two such filial children.

When it was dark, Li Chengqian came to pick up Li Tai's shift, and Sun Simiao also came over at the same time.

After taking his pulse, Sun Simiao stroked his own beard, and said with a smile: "Compared with this morning, the empress's pulse is more stable and powerful. This is very good. Since the empress insists on breastfeeding herself, the old man will not give you a favor." Prescribing medicine is not good for the little princess."

After speaking, seeing Li Chengqian nodding, Sun Simiao told his eldest grandson about the sequelae.

Unexpectedly, the eldest grandson's reaction was very calm, and he didn't think there was anything unacceptable about the sequelae.But in fact, she is 36 years old this year, even in later generations she will be considered an older mother, and she is really not suitable for having children.

After explaining clearly the sequelae, Sun Simiao left, while Li Chengqian and Su Yuan stayed to take care of the eldest grandson.Don't look at her being able to hold the baby to breastfeed now, in fact, she is holding on to it.If she didn't see the child with her own eyes, she would only think that the prince was easing her heart and cheating her.

Newborn babies are actually very annoying, and older children can be teased to keep them from crying, but at this time, children don’t care about 21, [-], they just start crying, especially after they are full. Even more angry.Although she didn't cry very loudly, it was not appropriate for her to hold her eldest grandson all the time, so Li Chengqian had no choice but to play the role of grandma once, hugging the little girl for half an hour before she fell asleep.

On the other side, the eldest grandson, who had completely calmed down, fell asleep again.

Accompanying patients is more often a struggle against boredom.Fortunately, Su Yuan was also there, and there was someone to whisper to, so Li Chengqian would not miss the phone.

"Husband, tell me, after my concubine has two sons, should I also have a daughter?"

Leaning on Li Chengqian's body, what Su Yuan said made people dumbfounded.

"Why after having two sons, it's no big deal if the first one is a girl."

"That can't be done. If you can't have a son, the concubine will be laughed at by outsiders to death."

"Fart, Yuanyuan, come here, put your ears close together, don't worry, I won't bite you... Listen carefully, I'm only telling you this, in fact, whether you have children or not depends mainly on the man , has nothing to do with women. This is the same as the mahjong you play, it is completely a matter of probability."

"But many people don't say that. Besides, mahjong is not just a matter of probability, but also has something to do with luck. Otherwise, why does Yan always shoot the concubine?"

"That's Yan's stupidity, my Yuanyuan is so smart..."

"My Yuanyuan...you always say these shameless things."

"Is there a problem? You are the Li Su family now! The Li surname is before the Su surname!"

"..."

Whispering in the middle of the night, Su Yuan finally couldn't bear it anymore and fell asleep leaning on the chair.Even though he was sleepy too, Li Chengqian still tried not to sleep.

During the Battle of Tuyuhun back then, he actually saw such a good thing as coffee beans. Although he got the seeds from the Hu merchants in the far west as he wished, he also sent a team of people to take the seeds to Nanzhao to plant them.But whether this thing can take root and sprout in Yunnan like the later generations is still a question.

While thinking about coffee, Li Chengqian heard the voice of his eldest grandson.

"Chengqian, what time is it now? Go to bed early, and let the maid look after the queen mother."

"It's still early, it's Zishi, and my son is not sleepy yet."

"It's child time..."

Hearing the eldest grandson's breathing evenly again, Li Chengqian stopped moving, sat on a chair and began to think about messy problems.

Far water can't quench near thirst, and now I want to fight sleepiness, I can only bear it.The sleepiness at this time is actually caused by the biological clock. His previous routine was too standard, which also made his biological clock more stubborn than others.The best way to deal with sleepiness is not the help of external objects, but your own efforts.As long as you resist the most sleepy time, you will become energetic instead.

Of course, doing this can break through the human body's limitations on itself, but it will also increase other probabilities.For example, sudden death...

When Li Chengqian was staying up late, Hongling Jishi was also staying up late.

Li Jian didn't dare to write back to the emperor until the queen was safe and sound.Among the imperial courts, only the imperial court really used the red plume as an emergency envoy.There are thousands of mountains and rivers from Dengzhou to Chang'an, but it only took more than ten days to send the letter to Chang'an.

While worried, the emperor was also happy that he had a daughter.People in the Tang Dynasty had few ways to express joy. Eating was the simplest and most common way of celebrating.

After receiving the letter, the emperor ordered a banquet for the officials, which made the officials who received the eunuch's report bewildered.

Chapter 361 The emperor with ulterior motives

Right now, the imperial court is safe and sound, and there is no news of the victory coming from the frontier, nor has it heard of any good things happening.Why did the emperor want to feast his ministers?

Could it be... because of the tax thing?If it's because of taxation, then you should really have a good meal.

Just last year, for the first time due to the backlog of account books, the Ministry of Household Affairs was unable to complete all tax payments before the year before.The agricultural tax is nothing, and it has not changed much in the past few years.And the newly added commercial tax is really gratifying.At the beginning of the Zhenguan period, the taxes and taxes in the whole country were only over 200 million guan, but in the ninth year of the Zhenguan period, the income from business taxes alone exceeded 500 million guan.

Of course, this is only part of the calculations made by the Ministry of Finance years ago.Although the Ministry of Household Affairs did not prepare for the whole year and vowed to calculate the commercial tax clearly, the emperor gave them grace and allowed them to take a vacation.The rest of the commercial tax inspection, plus the time for re-inspection, is now almost March, so it should be figured out anyway.

800 million guan, this is the number estimated by the bigwigs in the DPRK and China.It has quadrupled directly, and the imperial treasury has changed from impoverished to suddenly rich, but all of this has not been plucked from the people, but from the merchants.Ten taxes are one, and it is a rigid ten taxes. In this way, tax evasion and tax evasion are almost eliminated, and the imperial court tasted the taste of being rich for the first time.

The banquet was held in the Taiji Hall, and the scale was extremely large. As long as there was a position in the court, there would be a place at the banquet.In Chang'an, which is nearly March, the weather is not very warm yet, the ministers in the palace are very natural, but the courtiers blowing in the breeze outside are very messy...

At the beginning of the banquet, the emperor stated the reason for holding the banquet.Unexpectedly, it was just for the safety of the eldest grandson to give birth to a princess. This is really... really good!

Although they were dissatisfied with the emperor's fuss, no one dared to say anything more.When an ordinary family has a baby, it is an important event. At this time, if you speak ironically, even if it is just a joke, you will forge a death feud, let alone the emperor's family.

At the banquet, the emperor frequently persuaded him to drink, which caused Du Ruhui and others who were too drunk to drink a lot of headaches.If the emperor is happy, these courtiers have to be happy too. If anyone makes the emperor unhappy with a mournful face at this time, it will be really uncomfortable.

After three rounds of wine and five tastes of food, the emperor said his second purpose for convening a banquet for hundreds of officials today:

"The queen accompanied the prince to go out to investigate the situation of the world's merchants. She has made great achievements. What's more rare is that the queen is still pregnant. Now she gave birth to a daughter in Dengzhou safely. I am very relieved. Since the fall of Tuyuhun, although the border of the Tang Dynasty There were some small conflicts, but in the end no one dared to fight against our Tang suzerain.

In the country, the common people live and work in peace and contentment, the refugees are gradually returning, and the banditry is being completely eliminated everywhere. Soon, our Tang Dynasty will usher in a prosperous age.There is no intrusion from an enemy country outside, and there is no worry of exposing the pole inside. If this is the case, we are worthy of the people of the world. "

As soon as the emperor finished speaking, Fang Xuanling stood up holding the wine glass, and replied: "Your Majesty is right. The internal and external are stable, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. It can indeed be called a prosperous age. However, most of the government affairs are just whitewashing. Now that the Tang Dynasty has unified the Central Plains, such a vast country can still develop to the current scene. It is indeed a prosperous age. Your Majesty's hard work will definitely be recorded in the annals of history. The veteran congratulates His Majesty and the world !"

After speaking, Fang Xuanling raised his wine glass, and immediately, all the courtiers filled their glasses with wine and stood up.

What is rare is that the emperor also stood up this time and drank the glass of wine together.

Li Shimin didn't sit down after drinking, walked into the arena, and said with emotion: "We really should celebrate. There are many lovers in the court, just like me, who came out of the troubled times at the end of the Sui Dynasty. People like that are not as good as pigs and dogs in the past. , It’s better never to stage it again. Now that the Great Tang Dynasty has begun, it’s not due to me alone, but to the joint efforts of the monarch and my ministers. How dare I pretend to be the leader. Come, let me offer you a toast!”

The emperor wants to toast, which is a great etiquette. The courtiers who just sat down jumped up as if their buttocks were on fire. Although the emperor exchanged hundreds of glasses of wine for a glass of wine, it was still something they should be proud of.You must drink this wine!

A glass of wine was drunk again, and many people who were too strong to drink were already on the verge of collapse.Yongsheng Winery is now the biggest brand in the Tang Dynasty, and all the high-quality old wines are supplied to the palace, and the most important thing is that these are high-grade wines.Except for a few generals, who can drink this thing as water?

As for what is in the emperor's cup, it is estimated that only the emperor himself and the eunuchs accompanying him know.After all, the position of the emperor is so high that no one can see it, and it is very rude to spy on it without authorization.

Summoning the eunuch to refill the wine glass again, Li Shimin came to Fang Xuanling's table this time.

"Fang Aiqing, since you took office as the secretary, you have worked hard and never made a big mistake. Everyone in the court has been convinced of you. I have you, it is like an extra pair of arms! Come, let me toast you! "

The emperor's toast at the banquet!Fang Xuanling hurriedly filled the wine glass, knelt down and said: "Sharing worries for your majesty, sharing worries for the country, is the job of a humble minister. How dare a humble minister claim credit without authorization! Thank you for your praise, my humble minister Don't dare to be complacent!"

After finishing speaking, Fang Xuanling drank the wine in one gulp.

But when he wanted to show the emperor his empty wine glass, he saw that the emperor had already walked in front of Du Ruhui.

"Du Qing, people in the world often praise Fang Mou to make decisions. I rely a lot on your ability to make decisions!"

"Supporter, over the years, you, as a foreign relative, have been the subject of much discussion, but I know that you could have sat in the position of minister, but you have been insisting not to take the position because you are afraid that I will be criticized... .”

"Wei Qing, I once said that if you take the past as a mirror, you can know the ups and downs, and if you use people as a mirror, you can know the gains and losses. Over the years..."

"Li Qing, in the past two years, people have often called you the God of War. I also think this title is very appropriate. It's a pity that you don't want to be a civil servant, otherwise..."

...

Every time the emperor respected a courtier, he would exchange a glass for a glass. After greeting the Zhongshu, the chief officials of the two provinces under his door, the six ministers, and several veteran officials, he drank seven or eight glasses of wine.

Today, the emperor made a toast one by one. At the beginning, the courtiers near the palace gate and even outside the gate were very envious.In terms of qualifications, they did not have the opportunity to be toasted by the emperor in person. You know, to be toasted by an emperor can be written in the epitaph, and future generations will be honored when they trace their ancestors.

However, the more the toast went to the back, the ministers who were watching noticed something was wrong.

The ministers who speak effectively in the court will basically be toasted by the emperor.Wouldn't it be a joke for the emperor to toast and drink it in a small cup?Therefore, those who accept the emperor's toast all put on giant glasses, and there are two bowls in each bowl.After more than [-] glasses of wine, many of the overwhelmed people had already smashed their faces into the dishes, but the emperor who drank more than [-] glasses of wine seemed to be getting more and more energetic.

There are more than [-] cups, which can be counted as seven or eight bowls. How can the emperor drink so much?impossible!

This... It seems that the emperor didn't drink spirits, and it was already a certainty.Although it was nothing, after all, the emperor could not drink more than [-] glasses of spirits, but combined with the emperor's actions today, Wang Xuance felt that he might have discovered something extraordinary.

The emperor was still toasting at the general's side, and he would come to Jiusi after turning around, so Wang Xuance quickly reached out and tapped on the table to attract Tang Jian's attention, and said in a low voice, "Sir, your majesty seems to have some malicious intentions today. Ah! Look at the old man Wei, after drinking a glass of wine, there are signs of vomiting, so he endured it all the time in order not to be rude. As the Minister of Dali Temple, you will also be toasted by His Majesty, or..."

Tang Jian smiled slightly, reached out and knocked on Wang Xuance's head: "Boy, sometimes you can't see things too clearly, and when you should be confused, you have to pretend to be confused. Your Majesty toasting in person is a rare and great honor. With this, Even if it's a trap, do you think I should refuse? This is His Majesty's conspiracy. If I can't refuse, I can only accept it honestly.

Besides, it's okay if no one finds out if you add water to the drink. If someone finds out, it's a felony. Considering the consequences of being exposed, it's better not to use such cleverness indiscriminately.You are a fool, you have only been in Honglu Temple for a year, and you have mixed up to the level of the master.Because of his contributions to quelling the turmoil of the three tribes of Tuyuhun, he was also named by His Majesty to participate in today's banquet.In terms of official career, it can be said that you have a smooth path, but ah, the more this is the case, the more cautious you must be.